Not long since come back from another trek around Merseyvale Nature Park, Stockport with my two youngest daughters. Not the most elusive of birds, I know, but was surprised to see a female pheasant fly up from the bank of the river near the sewage works. Not seen pheasants round there before and just wo...
Having been run off my feet for a good month or so it was nice to get away from it all and have a week in the emerald isle. I went over with the wife for some walking, sight seeing, surfing and a bit of birding in between, but nothing too serious. We were staying near the beach in Lahinch, County Clare, with mix...
I'm looking to get into bird photography (something I've been itching to do for a while) and I've now decided to take the plunge. I've done quite a bit of research on cameras and lenses and I've decided to go with a Canon 500D body and a Canon 400mm f5.6 lense.
Can anyone recommend a good retailer where I...
Popped off the M6 today to see the Velvet Scoter at Clitheroe which was showing very well. As the small lake it was on was nearly completely iced up not sure how long it will stay but was fascinating to see it diving below the ice, retrieving freshwater mussels [small swan mussels?] and swallowing them w...
I'm quite urgently looking for some photo software to assist with the mountain of photos I have and for their use on the website etc. I realise Photoshop etc are supposed to be the best but I'm not sure I can justify the outlay on the really good programs, not when they're the same price as a plane ticket so...
Started feeding at Rindle feeding station near Astley Moss on the 1st October. Bird food provided by Leigh Ornithological Society. Wednesday 3rd a Merlin over the feeding station.
Great Grey Shrike seen by Ian Woosey this morning on western side of Anglezarke Reservoir near Kay's farm, which is down a track off Back Lane, Heath Charnock. -- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 1st of November 2010 01:51:57 PM
Ian - am I OK doing this? Its not for sale so assumed it would be.
Whilst having a bit of a clear out this afternoon I came across 2 cassettes (youngsters ask your parents) of birdsongs. I no longer posses a cassette player so these are free to anyone who wants them. First come first served.They are quite...
I picked up a Barn Owl which was a road casualty (broken wing) and transferred it to Stapeley Grange hospital today. This was outside one of our farms where we have put a box recently. Such a shame. It was a superb adult female. They may be able to re-set it at Stapeley but am not hopeful.
Looking for a lined-up swan today at Three Sisters, I watched a Black-headed Gull hitching a ride on the back of one of the 15 swans there - never seen that before!
Right Ladies and Gents. I am now seriously considering biting the bullet and buying some new bins after xmas. I'm well aware of all the usual advice about trying them out for yourself etc etc, but what I'm really after is the dirty little details that you only find out about when you've handed over your r...
Just taken granddaughter to feed the ducks and saw the following
150 gray lag geese
40 canada geese
2 great crested grebes 1 juv
tuffed ducks
herons
mute swans
on the lanes heading to Henbury
30 phesant
1 buzzard sat on fence post
29/10/10 Cloudy/moderate SE 09.45 - 11.00hrs.
Slavonian Grebe still present on No.1, but more elusive.
G.C. Grebe( c15 )
Tufted Duck ( c60 )
Goldeneye ( 5 or 6 )
Goosander ( 5 or 6 )
Coot ( 14 )
Not much else.
I have been to a few places in gm now I see lots of reports of Snipes but i can never find them.. Never ever seen one is there a place where they are unmissable or am I going blind.. I have never seen any of the cryptic camo waders in all of my 35 years on this planet -- Edited by Simon Gregory on Tuesday 19th of Oct...
I,ve only just got the full s.p. on the peregrine mentions in this our longest running 'soap' , in tonight,s episode there was a heated parish council meeting debating the installation of a nesting tray on the church,both pro,s and con,s were given equal air time and the jury is deliberating.It would...
Just returned from my annual migration to the Isles of Scilly, where I left several other Manchester birders. It was an above-average year this year, with fantastic weather after strong easterlies on 9th-10th which brought a good selection of birds in. Black-eared Wheatear was a new British tick f...
10:30 Sat 23/10/10
Pure white wings, tail, rump and belly. Mottled grey back, sooty light gret head and breast. Black legs, bill & eyes.
Being mobbed by up to 5 ordinary Carrion Crows.
Three Wax Wings at work in tree at Washington Street just off bottom of Deane Rd ! Turn into washington Street car park on the left for Enterprise Centre ,immediately as you go through the gates their are offices on the right, the tree is just after the offices and they are feeding on the berries on the bus...
O.k. you well-heeled twitchers; hand over your money!!
I'm sure you're all chewing the covers of 'Rare Birds in Britain' as you try to suppress your twitchy tendencies and put thoughts of the Green Heron in Cornwall to the back of your over excited minds. But say one, or something like it, did appear...
Had cracking views of a buzzard in the field behind my house SD934014. It came down to grab something missed and hopped around the field for a few mins then took off, flew towards oldham as another appeared with it n the sky and then 10 mins later came back down to filed then flew off in the direction of Duki...
Just in case anyone is interested (probably not), there are a couple of interesting photos of an aberrant Brambling on the Spurn Bird Observatory website in the October sightings section. I like to test mself on the photos on here and I didnt have a clue with this one. A good example of variation / aberr...
Seabird Population Trends and Causes of Change: 2010 is a new online report published by JNCC on behalf of the Seabird Monitoring Programme Partnership.
It provides the latest status report on the UKs internationally important breeding seabird populations and helps to identify the likely dri...
Had to drive to London this morning and set off at 5 am, only plus point was hoping to see a Red Kite on the M40 as caught a couple last time I drove down. Passed Warwick and around dawn wasn't disappointed. over a 10 mile run counted 18 birds , but my question is for my educated members ? I thought that the Red K...
After seeing the Swift at Watergrove this a.m., certainly my latest ever in GM, I decided to do a bit of research on the database and in the old GM Bird Reports and was surprised to find out how many October and even November records there have been since 1972. I don't have the earlier reports, apart from 1...
Did a roving report today, a really enjoyable session.
30 species including 27 Mallard,4 Grey Heron, 3 Goosander,1 Cormorant,1 Kingfisher all
on the Irewell in Ramsbottom!
Whilst enjoying this spectacle - 2 Ravens over going east and 8 Swallows fast and low
south
This between 1230 and 1...
for those of you who don't know, it is a qr code...
if you have a qr app on your smart phone (free to download) it reads it and takes you to web address within the code.
the one pictured here (free...
